Prison Health Services (PHS) has been given a two-year accreditation for its first-year program at Lehigh County Prison.

The accreditation is from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care and is based on the American Medical Association's standards for health services in jails.

Warden Timothy Carver said PHS, under its contract with Lehigh, had to achieve accreditation in the initial year of its program or pay a $25,000 penalty. In its first year, the program cost $294,000, plus capital expenses.

"Accreditation helps us monitor the program and affirms that we have maintained high standards of care," said Carver.

The Lehigh prison program received high marks for all essential services, but two services not considered essential were cited as in need of improvement. They are "the use of a medical peer review" and "special handling after admission for those with acute illnesses."

County officials, in hiring a single provider of health care for the prison, wanted to provide inmates with quality health care and control rising medical costs.

A 10-percent cost reduction is expected by the end of this year, according to Joan Nowak, the county director of public information.

The fixed contract with PHS also provides 24-hour nursing coverage and decreases the use of outside facilities, such as hospitals, where services are more expensive.

The use of outside facilities also creates security problems and places extra demands on staff time, she said.

PHS, under its contract with the county, pays for outside hospitalizations.

The PHS program at Lehigh jail provides 24-hour service every day, including physical examinations, mental health care coordinated with group counseling and drug and alcohol detoxification programs; dental care, sick call, radiology and pharmaceutical control.

The service includes medical supplies, staffing, a psychiatric nurse, insurance liabilities, maintenance of medical records and on-site professional management.